A simp is someone who shows excessive devotion or attention to a person (usually a crush) who doesn’t reciprocate. It’s now often used jokingly to mean you really like something — ‘I simp for that band.’

Where does simp come from?

It began as a shortening of ‘simpleton’ in the early 1900s, gained its modern sense in 1980s–90s hip-hop, and went viral via the 2019–2020 TikTok ‘Simp Nation’ trend.

Is calling someone a simp an insult?

It can be. Often it’s light teasing, but at its harshest it mocks men for being kind or affectionate and carries sexist undertones — context matters.

Specimen 090 · Persona simpii · Field Notes

Simp

A simp is someone who shows excessive devotion, attention or flattery toward someone — usually a crush — who doesn’t return the same feelings. These days it’s most often used jokingly (“I simp for my cat”).

Where simp came from

“Simp” began as a shortening of “simpleton” in the early 1900s. It picked up its “overly devoted” flavour in 1980s–90s hip-hop (Too Short, Sir Mix-a-Lot, others), appeared on Urban Dictionary in 2003, and went viral in 2019–2020 via a TikTok trend dubbed “Simp Nation.”

Context worth knowing

The word was also picked up by manosphere/incel forums, and at its harshest it mocks men simply for being kind, affectionate or respectful — which is where its sexist undertones come in (Twitch even banned it as a harassment term in 2020). Most casual use today is playful (“simping for” anything you love), but it’s worth knowing that heavier context. We note it plainly.

Sources

Wikipedia, “Simp” · Merriam-Webster · Dictionary.com · Mental Floss. Replace with live links at launch.